Improvement in station-indicators



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

\VILLIAM H. H. DAY, OF ANGOLA, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH HIS RIGHT TO AUGUSTUS A. MENZIE, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STATION-INDICATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,160, dated September 17, 1878; application filed July 31, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. II. DAY, of Angola, in the county of Steuben and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Directories; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in directories employed in railway-cars for the purpose of keeping the passengers advised as to the stations and other matters intimately connected with the road.

It consists in the means for holding and regulating the movement of the rollers on which the printed scrolls are fastened and rolled.

In the drawing, Figure l is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a back view with rear casing board removed, so as to show the internal mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a detail view.

A is the casing, in the front side of which are openings A A through which the printed directions on the scrolls B B are seen. These openings may be covered with glass to prevent dust, &c., from ggftting into the casing. Near the upper end' there is placed, in bold letters, the words N ext Station, which words remain fixed in position all the time, there being no necessity for changing them when used on railwaycars.

Should the device be employed for any other purpose than that hereinbefore indicated, any desired words may be substituted instead.

Surmounted on the casing is a bell, O, sus pended on an arch, O, as shown. a a a a are the rollers which carry the scrolls B B. They are arranged in pairs of one main roller, a, and one guide-roller, a, as shown, in order to insure freer movement of the scrolls. The rollers are journaled in the end plates, 1) b. The plate I) is secured rigidly to the side of the casing but the plate I) is supported on pins 0 c, with capability of a lateral movement thereon. The plate I) could also be supported like plate b; but I prefer to make but one of said plates movable.

D is a coiled spring, which extends across the frame, and has its opposite ends secured to the plates 1) b, as shown. This spring, aeting on the plates 7), draws the latter firmly against the ends of the rollers a a a a, and holds the lattersteadily in any given position, and keeps the scrolls taut across the openings A A ID is the mechanism for ringing the bell (J, the operation of which will be clearly understood by reference to the drawing.

The bell is used to indicate to the passengers in the cars that a change is made in the directory.

The plate I) may, if desired, be dispensed with, and the rollers a a may be journaled to the casing, and the end of the spring D could also be secured to said casing.

The rollers a a are arranged in pairs above and below the exhibit-openings of the casing, and are all journaled in the plate I), which slides laterally on the pins 0 c, and serves as a bearing-plate to hold the rollers, and 'as a guide-plate for the edge of the scroll. The single coiled spring D is arranged between the two pairs of rollers, and extends across the casing, and has one of its ends secured to the center of the plate I), while its other end is secured to the plate b centrally between the pairs of rollers, as shown. By this construction a more equable pressure is exerted on the ends of all the rollers, and preserves them more perfectly in line, and thereby prevents the scroll from sliding laterally, or in any other way getting out of order.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

The combination, with the casing A, having the pins 0 c, and the rollers a a, arranged in pairs above and below the exhibit-openings, and journaled in the plates 1) b, of the plate I), sliding laterally on the pins 0, and single coiled spring 1), extended across the casing, and having its ends secured centrally between thepairs of rollers to the plate I) and plate I), substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. H. DAY.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN A. Iownns, FRANK M. Pownns. 

